Five Ring Poker

December 30, 2008 (InfoPowa News) — Mansion group online subsidiary Circus Casino.co.uk has announced a new initiative to have the game of poker recognized as an Olympic sport; initially as a demonstration sport in 2012 and then as a main event in 2016.

Buoyed by a public Internet campaign, the online gaming company is hoping to convince Olympic organizers to include poker on the competitive roster despite similar initiatives by women's netball and Twenty20 cricket fans.

The company points out that poker is not only an old and well-established game, but is also one of the fastest-growing in the world, played by millions and watched by similar numbers, and recognized in some countries as a sport. And the game is truly cross-gender and has international appeal.

Peter Nolan at Circus Casino.co.uk said: "Poker's appeal is global, it transcends gender and age and is the fastest-growing sport in the world — it's ripe for Olympic recognition.

"Millions play every week, millions more watch it on TV, but perhaps more importantly, we've got some world-renowned British players."

Nolan went on to announce his company's "fantasy" pick as a possible British team:

CircusPoker.co.uk is not affiliated with any of the above players, but believes them to be Britain's best.

Mansion is member of the international Genting Group, one of Malaysia's leading multinational corporations, which has more than 27,000 employees and a combined market capitalization of more than $17 billion (U.S.).